Twisted Trans Sister
by pikachu master
Summary: Taking place a couple years after 'To Be Loved', Ben and Gwen find themselves alone searching for Grandpa Max. Two pairs of eyes follow them from the shadows, are they friend or foe? Rated 'M' for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**Ben 10: Twisted Trans-sisters**

The search for Grandpa Max by Ben, Gwen, and Kevin had left them sitting at a fork in the road. Kevin's car sat alongside the road on the emergency shoulder––a five foot wide stretch of dirt and gravel––collecting dust from their sudden stop. Three pairs of eyes shot back and forth.

"I knew we got that information from that twerp a little too easy." Kevin complained to himself, rapping his fingers on the steering wheel and inwardly kicking himself.

"Well, he did say we'd find our answers at the end of this road." Gwen said, trying to keep a positive mindset. "…Too bad he never mentioned whether to head northwest or southwest."

"Told you he was a little too shaken to have given us all the right info." Ben glared at Kevin, his eyes drilled into the back of his skull from the backseat.

"Hey!" Kevin shot Ben a look through his rearview mirror. "He was _that_ close (indicating with his thumb and index finger) to hitting my car with that lame little blaster of his. So, yeah, I was a bit ruffled. In any case, we can still go on with the search, all we have to do is split up.

"Ben, you go that way." Kevin nodded toward the road veering to the right, "and Gwen and I will take the other route."

"Wait! Why do I have to go alone?" Ben asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

Kevin grinned at Ben smugly, this time craning his neck around to look at him face to face, "Because I'm sure Gwen would rather ride in a car than be carried through the air by an alien in broad daylight.

There was a click of a seatbelt. "Don't be too sure of yourself," Gwen responded. "It's been a long time since I've been carried a ways by an alien," she sent a knowing smile Ben's way. "…And riding on Jet-Ray shouldn't be as bad as Stinkfly when it comes down to it."

A bewildered Kevin watched as Gwen stepped out of the car. She walked up the side of the road and turned to face them, hands at her hips.

Ben laughed and stepped out from his seat, "Sorry Kev, must've been something you said." He closed the door behind him and ran to catch up with his cousin. "That was surprising," Ben said, coming to a stroll. He walked alongside Gwen.

"Well, he was being a jerk, just trying to get me alone with him _again_; and it has been awhile since we've gotten to spend some time together alone," Gwen replied, a hint of color in her cheeks. When she heard Kevin's car take off––rather abruptly––in the other direction, she was quick to take Ben's hand into hers.

"Yeah, it has been a long time," his voice was soft and his hand gripped tighter on to hers. "I wish it were under better circumstances, but it is nice all the same," Ben smiled. "Shall I go Jet-Ray?"

"Why not?" Gwen reluctantly took her hand back and let Ben do his thing.

***

Two pairs of eyes studied them from the distance. They were hidden in the thickets of the forests that surrounded the long stretch of country road. Devilish smirks with bright white teeth formed across their young faces eerily at the same time.

"Looks like we've got an interesting couple here," the one on the left whispered with a giggle.

"Yes, we do. Especially that handsome one that just turned into that…uh, thing," the one on the right thought aloud.

"Shall we have some fun with them?" asked the left.

"Indeed, we shall," spoke the right.

They waited for the slender redhead to climb atop the weird monster-looking-thing, and when they took off in a flash, the two in the forest hopped and skipped in pursuit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

"I think that clown sent us on a wild goose chase," Ben, now in his human form, stated glumly.

"Really, Ben? I wouldn't have guessed," Gwen's words dripped with sarcasm, "I think we've only been walking nearly three hours now.

"Hey, Jet-Ray helped us cover a good distance before I tired out. Kevin hasn't called us either, so it's safe to bet he hasn't found anything either," Ben stopped to rest on a large rock sitting by the road. His feet ached now, and he needed to give them some time off for a moment or two. The Omnitrix was looking mighty good now, it had been for nearly an hour and a half. He sighed to himself, but it was so good to be himself, literally, around Gwen alone and spend a few hours holding her hand, and talking. All this and keeping on with their mission. With Kevin around this was an impossibility. He hated restraining he actions 24/7.

Ben turned his head in the direction they came from and then to the direction they were going. It all looked the same to him. Pine trees grew densely in this region, and the other plant life was so thick in between, one probably couldn't make way without the aide of a machete. Colors all around ranged from light to a very dark green. Many flowers grew in the few feet of open grass between asphalt and forest. From the look of it, this place had plenty of rainfall to keep it all growing. This day must be an exception, Ben thought to himself. The sun was out in the pale blue sky, with a steady temperature in the low eighties, hardly any humidity.

"I don't think we're gonna find much down this way, honestly. Nothing seems out of the ordinary… at least, nothing out of the ordinary has happened yet––and it should have by now."

Gwen took a moment to reflect, "We should turn back. Nightfall will find us soon, and we don't know if there's any place to stay down the road. There was a diner we flew by just before you turned human again, a small inn was right next to it."

"If we walk, it'll be dinner time when we get there," Ben chimed.

"Sounds good to me. Kevin's turned his phone off apparently; it keeps going straight to his voicemail. We can have a nice meal and comfortable bed to sleep in while he sulks," Gwen said with not a trace of compunction, "and we have plenty of water left from that rest stop earlier."

"Awesome! Especially that part about the comfortable _bed_," Ben emphasized the singularity of the word.

Gwen rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, "You pig. What am I ever going to do with you?"

Ben smiled devilishly, "Anything you want."

"You're damn right!" Gwen laughed heartily.

***

Kevin shoved his cell phone back into his pocket. He hadn't any bars anywhere on this stretch of road, but it was at least worth trying to call. No service whatsoever, he hated the boonies.

"Dammit," he muttered to himself. Aside from one gas station, there hadn't been a single other manmade object, just grass and trees. With no shoulder room off the two-lane for cops to sit, his car had been at an average of one hundred and ten miles-per-hour and covered the length of road in less than an hour. Nothing caught his attention at all, nothing looked suspicious; everything was in order around these parts.

Only briefly did he toy with the idea of going back and taking the northwest route. If nothing was going on here, then obviously Gwen and Ben were heading where that little alien creep had meant for them to go. Screw it, Kevin said to himself and pouted. If they found their Grandpa Max, they could have their reunion. Good for them. He'd go back to where they all split up, park the car, kick back the seat, and take a nap.

***

"Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!" Ben exclaimed as his food was placed next to his half empty iced tea.

"Thank you," Gwen said pleasantly to the waitress, who smiled back in return.

"No problem, sug'. I'll be back in a few minutes if ya'll need anythin'," she winked at Ben before heading back to the kitchen.

"You sure are popular with the ladies, you know that?" Gwen tried to keep a poker face when she spoke, but was unable to keep her lips from curling upward. She picked up her glass and sipped the tea through the straw, and batted her eyelashes innocently.

He looked over at the kitchen doors the woman had disappeared behind. She was attractive, he admitted to himself. The waitress was blonde, wore a black mini-skirt; her unbuttoned white polo shirt had showed off the slightest bit of cleavage from her ample bosom; the freckles that dusted the bridge of her nose and her charming smile made her look much younger than she probably was. He'd looked her over, yes, but carefully as not to offend his girlfriend (she did it too, he noticed). Ben chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"You're jealous… over her?"

Gwen said nothing, she hadn't a clue what to say. Her cheeks reddened and her innocent grin became one of sheepishness, something Ben didn't see all too often. She fumbled with the food on her plate.

"You have no reason to be jealous over anyone who tries to flirt with me. Every attempt will fall upon deaf ears and blind eyes," he paused to slide his hand over hers. He smiled and leaned in––she did the same––and whispered, "Besides, I've seen you checking out other guys 'subtly' too," and winked, kissing her playfully on the lips.

Her lips parted, and he could see from her expression she wanted to deny his accusation, or fire back some retort like the good old days of their childhood. She couldn't bring herself to do it, only shake her head and smile again, "I love you, Ben."

"And I love yo––"

A tremendous explosion shook the restaurant down to its foundation. Ben and Gwen felt the thunderous ripple deep within their chests. The light fixtures above them swayed violently, a couple hanging behind them actually snapped from the chains attached to the ceiling and came crashing to the floor. A few of the patrons huddled themselves underneath the sturdy wooden tables while the food they were just eating splattered beside them. Others simply ran out the front door and to the clearing just past the small gravel parking lot, far out enough where nothing could hit them. Ben was one of the first ones on the ground, after pulling Gwen under the table by her arm and putting his body directly over hers. He made sure her head was completely covered, and closed his eyes.

Something creaked and groaned overhead, something big.

There was a deafening crunch, and a millisecond later, a magenta light shined through his eyelids. A sudden warmness surrounded him, flowed through his body. Ben slowly opened his eyes and looked above him, a giant beam floated in midair where their table once stood. It hardly had itself at a stable balance atop Gwen's energy shield and eventually slid off, falling onto the splinters that had once been their dining table.

"…Oh yeah, you have powers," Ben muttered, his turn to be sheepish.

"Duh," she giggled, sitting upright, still on her knees. Her energy shield faded and her pupils stopped glowing and returned to their beautiful emerald green state. "But thank you. That was very brave, putting my safety before yours."

They embraced and shared a quick passionate kiss.

"That wasn't a normal happening," Ben decided, bringing them both up to their feet. "It didn't feel… natural."

"Agreed," Gwen nodded. "I sensed something… I don't know what it was…"

"Take a look around the building, help anyone in here who needs it. I'm gonna scout the perimeter."

"Okay. Be careful."

***

"Yay! We're getting them to scramble!" a childlike voice shouted and hooted from the border of the forest, roughly three hundred yards out from the secluded restaurant and inn.

"Shh! Will you be quiet!? Another, similarly youthful voice chided, daring not to raise the volume of her voice too terribly much. She clasped her hand tightly over the other's mouth as she scolded, "We must wait to see if those two have separated. They both look to have powers, so we'll get them one at a time."

And wait they did. The two stayed in the exact same position and patiently looked on. Both girl's hearts were beating feverishly in union, they itched for the moment the young man would come walking in their direction.

Silence.

…

_Crunch, crunch._

The foliage to the left! Oh, God! He was so close to them now! How in the world did he get here without them noticing!? The boy trudged into the thick woods and scattered twigs of the brush. Damn, if he'd known they were there, he would have had the drop on them for sure. Never again would they let their guard down.

But he was totally ignorant of their presence…

"Alright," the one in charge let go of the other girl, "Get him, sis!"

And she took off, lunging from the forest cover, screaming at flying toward the alien man they'd been waiting for years to find. Today, they would get payback, for themselves and for their mother.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

"Gotcha!" a girls voice shrieked like a banshee, startling Ben. His head snapped to the left and caught sight of a small, raven-haired girl, running at full speed. A split second later, the back of his skull was bouncing off the ground, his vision doubled for a second before he could get his bearings. _Was that the little girl? … No, she couldn't have taken me down like that._

But there was no one else around except for her, she was down on her hands and knees breathing hard. From the impact he felt, he wasn't at all surprised the girl was down; it did surprise him, however, that the girl was still conscious. With a groan, she hopped to her feet and dusted off her bare knees. Whoever the hell she was, she was less than five feet tall, couldn't possibly weigh any more than ninety pounds, and looked to be eleven years old––thirteen at the most!

"Hey! You got my nice, brand new clothes dirty!" the tiny girl tugged at her light-yellow shirt, showing off the grass stain. "Oh no! There's mud on my skirt too!" her plaid green material had it caked on one side. "What're you gonna do about this!?" she demanded.

"Me!?" Ben stared back incredulously. "I'm not the one who––"

He was cut short when a blinding blue and white light engulfed the younger child's body and flared outwards, causing him to shield his face, a strange heat blasted and swam over his body. Now what?

The heat and light subsided and he tore away his arm and drew his eyes back to where the girl once stood. It was the same one who stood there, but she had… _changed._ She was two feet taller and heavily-muscled, staring at him with ill intentions

"Oh, you've got to be shi––" Ben was, again, cut short; this time with a well-toned leg to the gut that sent him flying across the field. It was inhumanly fast, the way she ran to him and punted ferociously. He hadn't seen her move really, his eyes hadn't caught all of it, it was more like she'd teleported before delivering the blow.

_Not good! Not good!_

Another kick, this time to the ribs, sent him rolling. His body tumbled along the grass like a rag doll. Stray rocks and sticker weeds beat up and scraped his skin good. Thankfully he came to a dead stop and was allowed a moment to catch his breath, which wasn't exactly better than the beating he just took. Ben's sides ached and his chest burned with every breath he drew in. _Somethin's gotta be cracked or broken in there._ He winced as he tried to roll off his back; nothing doing. His body wouldn't even allow him to sit in an upright position.

"Wh-what do you want from me!?" Ben yelled––or at least he tried to, it came out more like a wheeze. "I never did anything to you. What's this about?"

Another white and blue flash.

_Oh great._

The same little girl that started the attack––the form of a little girl, anyway––jumped on, and straddled his midsection. All the air flew out of his lungs and Ben screamed in utter agony.

"Oh, come on now, it can't be that bad. I know you're faking," the child said, in a matter-of-fact tone. She grabbed the cuff of his jacket tight and pulled his head close to hers. More pain. "Besides, you deserve this much… Daddy."

***

A sudden spike in the local energy! Gwen stood up from tending to the minor cuts and scrapes of the diner patrons. She turned to the waitress that had been serving their meal, "Here," she handed off the first-aid kit, "finish up with the other people in here. I'm gonna check to see if anyone needs help outside."

She ran out the door as fast as she could and towards Ben's energy. Whatever caused that flux was undoubtedly very powerful… it was also unstable. It was messing with the energy field all around her, she could feel her cousin's presence, but she could not gauge its strength.

***

"Uh-oh, looks like we've got a party pooper on the way," the second sister said to herself. She promised her sibling that she could take care of the initial confrontation, and she would keep her distance in the meantime. This redhead that was coming out was an energy being, she could tell. The sudden surge from her sister's transformation would throw her off long enough to allow for a distraction.

_She'll head for her boyfriend and his attacker, leaving an opening for me to get an upper hand. She'll never see it coming._ And then, finally with the four of them facing off, everything will be settled.

***

_Did she say, Daddy?_

Ben's eyes snapped open and he stared into the little girl's––or whatever she was––deep blue eyes. They were filled with an unconceivable rage, and yet he could sense sadness.

"Daddy?" he repeated aloud.

"Don't you_ dare_ pretend you have no clue what I'm talking about!" the tears in the girl's eyes welled up and glistened as they slid down her pale cheeks. Her fingers trembled as they held on to his jacket.

"But I don't––" Ben tried desperately to argue.

_CRACK._

The enraged teeny-bopper flew off Ben's body in a snap, her hands slipped from his clothing, but not before the force jerked his upper half painfully forward. He groaned and flopped back on to the grass. _What the hell was that?_ Everything was happening too fast for him, he hadn't time to process any of the attack. Well, aside from the pain.

"Back off, you bitch!" he heard Gwen fire at the top of her lungs. She was the one who stopped the vicious assault. He couldn't let her fight alone, that _thing_ was out for blood. He tried with all his might to will himself into a standing position, his body would not allow it.

_I'm sorry, Gwen._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

What was a little girl just one minute before was now a behemoth of a woman. Her skin was now jagged and chiseled, and had taken on a dull gray color. She looked like a statue from an ancient civilization, elegant and beautifully cut––she could've been a goddess… of war, unfortunately for the Tennysons. The red-haired teen stood her ground by her fallen cousin.

"Mind your own business, he's mine!" the rock-woman yelled, who then dropped her shoulder and charged at Gwen full speed.

The ground quaked beneath the spell caster's feet, she struggled to keep her balance. Gwen found her footing and thrust her open palms forward. Energy beams shot forth and struck the rock-monster on the side and clipped her shoulder. The gargantuan attacker did not drop, she only slowed.

_One more shot should do it._

Another magenta bolt sailed across the field, her aim was low and deadly. Grass and other plant life tore from their spots in the earth, displaced by such incredible amounts of energy. It struck the kneecap of the amazon with a sickening crack and down she came. Face-first, the transforming girl hit, with an explosive thud that brought up several pounds of earth. The dust cleared and the rock-monster was gone, the preteen-looking child lay in its place. She wasn't moving.

The rage inside Gwen diminished at once upon taking in the scene. She rushed to the side of the smaller girl, almost in tears, looking over the damage she had dealt. Gwen put her hand to the child's neck; there was a pulse, thankfully. But she was cut up and bruising where the energy beams made contact. Her knee was swollen to the size of a softball already, turning over to a nauseating green, purple, and black. Bloody scrapes surrounded the wound.

_I'm gonna throw up. Think dammit, think! It's your fault she's in this condition,_ Gwen screamed at herself. Another voice in her mind yelled back, _don't let her fool you. She may be a kid, but she put Ben through hell in just a few seconds after he went to search the area… Ben's well-being comes before… whatever she is._

Gwen rose from her knees to run back over to her fallen cousin, only to come face to face with another girl. Even with a good distance between them, she could tell this one's eyes were blazing at her, eyebrows furrowed, the look on her face was that of utter contempt. She had the same black hair, same light skin tone, height––even the same clothes. Twins.

"Get the _hell_ away from my sister, you little slut." the new girl snarled. She held a wicked looking chain gun, and it wasn't pointed her way. To her shock, it was aimed at Ben's unconscious and defenseless body. At the sight, Gwen's stomach turned a second time. How was it possible that things kept getting worse for them in under ten minutes? And how in the world did she not notice this other girl's presence? _I'm sorry, Ben._

The hands holding the weapon did not waver in the slightest, they held deadly, steady aim. With the casual flick of her right thumb, the girl hit a switch near the butt of the gun, and a low humming started, which grew to a rumble.

_It's charging up…a pulse rifle!_

"That's a Plumber's weapon!" Gwen couldn't help but say out loud.

"Damn right it is," the hostile said with no change in her tone, "now stand down, or else…" she inched the barrel closer to Ben. Gwen stood impossibly still, barely able to keep her knees from trembling.

"Our grandfather is a Plumber too," Gwen said calmly and quietly, "we're looking for him. That's why we're out this way."

"…Our?"

The wheels immediately started to turn in Gwen's head,_ could these two possibly think__––__? No way._

"You think my cousin is your dad?"

"He is!" the girl shouted now, "all I know now is that you aren't the little whore he ran off with," she looked Gwen over again, "…but maybe you are. He ran away from his wife and kids, why not add insult to injury and run off with one of his own blood?"

"How could he possibly be?" Gwen was beginning to lose her patience, her own voice raised, "Look at him, he's only a couple years older than you!"

"He can transform," the girl said flatly, nodding towards Ben, "I saw him with my own eyes. My sister––his daughter––inherited that trait from his species."

"Ben's transformation isn't a natural ability. It's his watch, the Omnitrix! It has the power to turn him into whatever aliens are programmed into it… see for yourself if you doubt me."

The next few seconds that passed seemed like hours to Gwen as the armed girl contemplated her next move. Behind her, the unconscious sister breathed easily; she needed help too, Gwen could feel her energy diminishing…she would die soon if she did not receive medical attention._ Hurry up, dammit._ Sweat trickled down the red-head's face.

Finally making her decision, the barrel of the gun turned to Gwen, and the brunette made her way cautiously to Ben's body. She pulled up his watch arm.

"Now turn the frame to select an alien."

She did.

"…And hit the center."

Slight hesitation…

_Slap._

A blinding flash of green surprised the young girl and caused her to jump back a little, and she looked unbelieving at the huge alien that lay before her now. An unconscious Chromastone. Gwen sighed with relief when the pulse rifle dropped to the ground, no longer a threat.

"No…" the brunette whispered to nobody in particular, "it's not him… it's not him…"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

"Say what?" Gwen cocked her head to the side, not believing what the younger girl––who, moments before, had a pulse rifle aimed at Ben's head––just asked of her.

"Help me with him, he's badly hurt and needs to be patched up." the brunette knelt down next to her cousin and took off the dark jacket she wore and placed it over his wounds.

"What about your sister?" Gwen tried to remind the girl of her laid out sibling, "She hasn't moved… she needs to be helped too," her voice broke a little, anger completely subsided and replaced with remorse for her actions minutes ago.

"She'll be fine," the girl said without looking up, still tending to Ben. When she realized her help was not coming, she glanced over her shoulder to face Gwen. "My sister _is _fine. Now please, help me with him. We attacked the wrong people, it was my doing, and I need to make this right."

Gwen took one more look back to the other little girl behind her, the n took off to help with Ben. He was pretty bloody and dirty, not bad as she'd thought––damn her imagination. She'd seen worse, quite frankly, in their childhood. She smiled.

The other girl took notice of this and she frowned. Her eyes were glassy and her reddened cheeks were stained with tears.

"Don't worry, for him, this is pretty tame. He's banged himself up worse than this without anyone's assistance. By the way, I'm Gwen and this is Ben."

"I'm Sodina, and that's Nicole––Nikki––over there. Despite the situation, it's nice to meet you."

"Same here," Gwen hoisted Ben, cradling his upper back and neck. "If you can get his legs, could we get him over to the inn?"

"Sure," Sodina nodded, "my mom runs the place, we can get you a room there. No charge, it's my treat," she took hold of Ben's legs, lifted them up, and let Gwen lead the way.

***

All the patrons from the restaurant had taken off or went back to their undisturbed rooms at the inn next door, Gwen noticed. The parking lot was clear, and that was a good thing, nobody needed to be asking why two young women were carrying a battered and bloodied young man from an open field _away_ from any structures that could have hit him in the 'earthquake'. On the subject of questions, Gwen had a few to ask herself.

Sodina beat her to the punch, "Ben and Gwen, huh? With names like that, I'd say you were brother and sister, not cousins. But seeing you both holding hands and being flirty with each other––"

Caught off guard and embarrassed, Gwen nearly dropped her cousin's head on the parking lot pavement, "You saw all that?" her cheeks reddened.

"Well, yeah. We attacked you after all, we needed to make sure that…," Sodina trailed off and thought for a moment, "wait… why were you so flustered when I mentioned seeing you both being flirty?"

"It wasn't that! It's––"

Sodina's eyes lightened up and her mouth hung open, spreading out into a wide grin, "You _are_ brother and sister, aren't you?" the question came out more like a cooed statement. "That's why you're out here by yourselves! Your parents won't let you be together, so you ran off to elope. But you didn't want to renounce your blood relation entirely, so the two of you live your lives as cousins.

"That's quite an imagination you have there. If you must know," said Gwen as she took the lead up the steps of the inn, "we are really cousins. Our family has this weird thing with naming their kids. None of them have a clue about us, and probably be a cold day in hell when they do… Umm, which room do we take?" Gwen asked, coming to the top of the steps.

"Room 316, keep going straight and go just around the bend."

"There's sure a lot of rooms for a place out in the middle of nowhere," Gwen commented. It really was a nice place, made out of sturdy wood, the building itself was well maintained and looked only a few years old. The architectural design reminded her of drawings or photos of old French villages.

"There used to be a lot more things going on in this area," Sodina explained. She fumbled for her skeleton key in her breast pocket while continuing to hold the unconscious boy up. "This was way before my time, even my parents. My grandpa designed this building himself."

Sodina lightly place Ben's feet on the ground and thrust the key into the lock, gave the knob a turn and shoved the door open.

"Woah," the only word that came to mind as Gwen looked over the room. The outside wasn't the only well-kept part of the inn, the place Sodina had chosen was absolutely gorgeous. It was as elegant as any luxury suite she'd seen in the movies she and Ben watched together. A king-sized bed dominated the whole of the room, and was the first thing Gwen noticed when the door opened. Two dark oak night stands sat on either side of the bed, each with lamps; a vintage rotary phone sat on the left. On the opposite wall, at the foot of the bed, there was a large dresser, empty and waiting for extra clothes that would not be placed there by this couple. A twenty-seven inch television rested upon it's sturdy wood (also a dark oak). Opposite of the door they carried Ben through was another door, presumably a bathroom, and a closet with sliding doors.

_First things, first. Getting Ben comfortable and patched up._

The two girls placed him gingerly on one side of the bed. Gwen tore up the comforter and sheets. Sodina stood next to her, averting her eyes.

"If he needs to get undressed, I can go in the other room. If you need to get bandages or anything, they're in the bathroom, past this door to the left. When you're finished up here, we can talk." Sodina's voice was soft and she did not look up. She walked to the door by the closet and gave Ben a remorseful look before opening it and walking into the next room.

"Okay Ben," Gwen whispered, "let's get these dirty clothes off and see if we can't fix you right up."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI**

The doorknob turned with a click as Sodina readied the teacups at the little breakfast nook. Gwen stepped through the door and let her eyes wander around. This room was smaller than the king-sized bedroom, yet it was just as cozy. Relaxing cool colors made for a nice change from the other room. A small couch ran along the right wall and a small side table and white wooden chair with pastel-riddled cushions past that. On the opposite wall, a large armoire held another television, a little larger than the one in the bedroom, a VCR sat on the small shelf above it. A cute glass coffee table with a ceramic dish in the center, filled to the brim with treats, sat in front of the couch. Ben would empty that candy bowl inside thirty minutes, Gwen thought pleasantly.

"Thinkin' about your cousin?" Sodina inquired, reading the amiable expression on the redhead's face (one Gwen hadn't known she'd been wearing). She turned back to the brunette and nodded. "A positive attitude's always good. He'll be fine; a little bit of bed rest and he'll be good as new."

"I know," said Gwen, walking over to the breakfast table and taking a seat in the unoccupied chair. A full cup sitting on a coaster waited in front of her. "His energy is still strong. His physical injuries always tend to heal quickly…," she took a tiny sip of tea, "still… I can't help but worry about him. I only wish I could help out more."

Sodina brought her teacup to her lips, and after Gwen's statement she promptly put it back down on the coaster with a gentle _clack_, "You being here at his side will help him more than you can ever know. Trust me on that one."

She paused for just a second and continued, "…so you and he are cousins? And you're…"

Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, Gwen put her cup back to the coaster and averted her eyes from the girl sitting across from her. She knew one day they'd have to answer to someone about their relationship. One day, not now. There was an advantage to this situation though; being that Sodina wasn't family or a person she'd known most of her life, it would be a little easier to talk about. It would be better in the long run too, she figured. Getting this whole situation out in the open at least once would help the family intervention down the road. Still, Gwen couldn't keep herself from trembling while she searched for the words.

"Yes," she exhaled with some difficulty, "Ben and I are lovers, and we have been for a few years now…"That being said, Gwen gained a surprising level of confidence. Verbal admission was the hard part, the rest of the story was cake.

Like a lifelong friend, Sodina listened to Gwen's story from beginning to end. She learned about how they grew up despising each other from the first time they met, to that eventful summer when they were ten years old. Over those few weeks, in some life and death situations––and just plain getting to know one another in the cramped confines of the Rustbucket––they really learned what the other was about, and began to understand the cousins' feelings. When she was told about the incident at the creek, that would eventually lead to their confessions a little later on, she couldn't help but laugh until tears blurred her vision.

Those tears weren't the last for the day. Soon enough, Sodina heard the tale of Ben and Gwen's revelation, and couldn't help herself from crying. It was so beautiful, the preadolescent transition of their rocky love/hate relationship to that of pure, unconditional love. Oh, how she wished she could feel the way these two clearly felt. So strong of a bond between the two, they were nearly killed for the sake of their beloved.

But there was no time for that, Sodina reflected, Nikki needed her. As tough as she was, she was still her sister, and she promised that she would always be there. Her father leaving hurt Nikki so deeply; she could never do that to her. Nothing like that would ever happen again––ever.

Ben groaned from the bedroom. He was regaining consciousness.

Gwen abruptly turned her head and stood from her seat, looking down the elongated kitchen that connected the two rooms. Sodina politely smiled and put her cup back on the table; time for her to leave.

"I'll take care of this," said Sodina, indicating the teacups and pitcher, "You take care of him now and I'll slip out this back door when I'm done."

"Thank you again––and sorry for earlier," Gwen quickly added, "later on we should get together. I'd like to hear your all's story, if you don't mind."

"Sure. Aside from getting my sis, I'll be here the rest of the day. We're in room 201, stop on by."

"Alright, I will," Gwen smiled and quickly made her way to the room in the front, "Bye!"

"See ya."


	7. Chapter 7

AUTHORS NOTE: This is the beginning of all the naughty stuffs that this story's rating promised. Sooo, yeah, if you don't like descriptive sexual relations, this is not the chapter to read. :P

**Chapter VII**

Ben's eyes fluttered open and the world around him came into focus. Slowly, but surely, he recognized Gwen sitting at his side, smiling down at him. Her gentle fingers combed through his damp hair.

"Hey you," the red-haired angel whispered, her voice tender, "How are you feeling?"

"My… well, everything aches," Ben's eyes darted around the room. This place was unfamiliar to him.

"Don't worry, we're at the inn––the one next to the restaurant," Gwen said reassuringly, reading the panicked expression on her cousin's face, "––everything's fine now."

"…"

"You started moving around a lot and screaming in your sleep; it must've been a horrible nightmare."

Ben's lips quivered, his voice croaked, "I thought you were dead. I couldn't fight them… and you came," he pulled his upper-half achingly from the mattress and pillows, "…and I c-couldn't save you…"

Before he continued on, Gwen embraced Ben as fast and gently as she could. He brought his arms weakly around her. She couldn't believe it, he'd been beating himself up for not being able to protect her. Her arms glided softly over his back, her face nuzzled his neck. She held on to him, trying to convince him everything was fine; that he didn't have to be sorry.

"Putting my safety before your own," Gwen said, kissing his neck tenderly, "no matter what happens to you…I––I can't tell you how much… I mean… I feel so fortunate to have you in my life. I love you so much, Ben. So very, very much."

"I love you too, Gwen."

They sat there on the bed, holding on to each other as if their lives depended on it. Minutes passed, maybe hours, in silence; but it didn't matter, their body language was doing more talking anyways. Gwen's fingers roamed lightly over Ben's uncovered back, his injuries were etched into her mind and she was careful not to disturb them. Delicately, her fingertips traveled down his spine. Ben kept his right hand at her lower back, kneading that one pesky spot that seemed to give her grief every time they were active for long periods of time. His other hand cradled the back of her neck; he left his share of kisses along her neckline and shoulder, where his head rested.

A small moan broke out of Gwen's throat, shattering the silence, "Ooh, that feels good." Now wasn't the best time for it, but she was getting aroused.

"What does?" Ben asked in a husky––borderline mischievous––voice, "This (he pressed into her back with his palm), or this (he slowly and passionately kissed up her neck)?"

"Mmm, both."

That was the only thing he needed to hear, and to Gwen's surprise and delight Ben started working affectionately at her neck and lower back. As he breathed in her scent he became aware of his own growing arousal, hidden only by the fabric of his boxers and bed sheets. The soreness he felt now was terrible and he did his best to keep it from being noticed. Even if it was too painful to make love, he still wanted Gwen to be with him.

The shared body heat was getting to be a little much for Gwen, who very badly wanted to discard her shirt (at the very least). Reason kept her from doing so; she knew Ben was too bad off for any 'extracurricular activities'.

Almost as if reading her mind, Ben came back from her neck to give Gwen a quick, loving kiss on the lips, meanwhile both of his hands snuck up the bottom of her shirt. In one smooth and gentle motion, he pulled up and removed the offending material, leaving Gwen only in her lacy, black bra.

"We shouldn't do this, Ben. Not now," she said, not realizing the words were spoken out loud.

"You haven't been putting up much of a fight," Ben argued, lips curled upward.

"It's not like I don't want to… I do," she brought her soft hands to his face and stroked his cheeks, "but I don't want you to get hurt anymore today."

She could feel his strong arms wrap around her waist again, he locked his fingers behind her back. He wasn't giving up that easily, that wasn't the way he worked.

"Who said anything about getting hurt? If we go slow, I'll be fine."

"You know that never lasts," Gwen sighed, downtrodden, "one of us gets going and ends up fucking the other's brains out."

"We've never had a real reason to keep us going at a slower pace."

"Ya-huh! At my house, remember? My mattress always makes tons of noise, and every time we always say, 'keep it slow, keep it slow'. That's never gone to plan before… and that was with my parents in the house!"

It'll work this time," Ben chuckled and reassured Gwen with another kiss, "I'll be fine… and if I'm not, I can't blame you." He smiled that infectious smile, the one that got her every time, and this was no exception. Gwen felt her lips turn up and she shook her head. He had a point, they both wanted it, wanted to lose themselves for a short while in an erotic tryst, just forget about all the problems in the world and focus on more important things. If he stayed too involved in being a hero––even searching for Grandpa Max––he would eventually drive himself away from those he loved. Gwen had actually warned him of that a number of times their first summer together, and a couple of times recently.

"I love you, Gwen. Always."

"I love you too, Ben."

***

Despite his injuries, Ben managed to move with very little pain at this juncture, and if he felt any, Gwen sure didn't read any of it in his facial expressions or body language. She leaned toward him and he met her halfway, their lips grazed carefully at first. Light pecks gradually became longer, more sentimental, underscored with vigorous passion. His lips parted and his tongue gracefully swept into Gwen's mouth, dancing heatedly with her own probing tongue. Her teeth playfully bit down on Ben's lower lip when he pulled back to catch his breath, she suckled on it, moaning as she did. All the while, both her hands found their way to his chest and tugged at his skin.

Most teenaged girls would have long, talon-like fingernails that could do some serious damage, but not Gwen. Occasionally, she would get all dolled up and girly, but most of the time would be like Ben–– wearing tattered jeans and t-shirts, getting sweaty and dirty, but still able to have a good time. As such, her nails weren't painted or taken care of extensively, they were even shorter than her cousin's, and yet she still found a way to claw at him.

Arching his back as much as his body would allow, Ben groaned deeply. His cock hardened fully, still hidden from view. Though his excitement could still be seen, all the bed sheets managed to do was give a healthy outline of his length. This did not escape Gwen's attention.

"Someone's ready for more," Gwen smiled, letting her fingers trace over his covered shaft.

Fingers then unexpectedly prodded at her sex. A sharp inhale and unconscious clench of her fists (now grasping Ben's sides in a death grip) told Ben he'd found exactly the right spot. Both his ring and middle fingers pressed firmly against and moved deliberately over her crotch. Even through both layers of her clothing, he was able to feel her heat. Her clothing down there started to dampen.

"Somebody else is, too," Ben laughed and rolled his fingers around brought his palm over her cute, little butt. Another gasp from Gwen and Ben grabbed her rear tightly and ground her body against his groin. Keeping an even and slow rhythm, he pushed her back and brought her forward again. Both of their bodies responded; she grew wetter and wetter, ready to receive him, and he grew more rigid, ready to enter her.

But Gwen wasn't about to jump into that right away, she was going to take her time with him. In his state now, Ben would have no chance to argue.

_This is gonna be fun!_

First, she was going to start on him far away from his penis, which led her up to his ears. They were incredibly sensitive to her touch, and she could have him squirming for hours if she wanted to. Leaning down ever so slowly, Gwen made as if to kiss him, Ben even closed his eyes and parted his lips slightly, but veered off to the side of his face and wrapped her lips around his earlobe. Her tongue slid around it and flicked it around––merely teasing him.

He squirmed.

His lower half bucked once, trying to make sudden and much-needed contact with his lover's body. Ben wanted her _now_––he _needed_ her. A burning sensation started around his lungs and ribs. _Dammit, not now… slow down, calm yourself, let her do the work,_ he yelled at himself. Gwen chewed on his lobes now, her teeth grazed him at first, but now she bit down, tugging at them, breathing white hot breaths on the side of his face. His fists clenched and his cock throbbed, pitifully trying to find some method of release. Pre-cum beaded at the tip.

Finishing with the punishment to his ears, Gwen trailed her lips down Ben's neck with an assortment of kisses and licks. Only for a moment did she stop at his throat to give him a good sized hickey. Her trail of kisses continued downward, past his chest and abs. His hands ran through her hair and over back while he moaned in encouragement. As she neared his naval, she slid across his skin with her teeth. Ben was now writhing under her control. His cock jumped up and the upper side pressed against his belly, brushing along Gwen's face.

Crawling back on her hands and knees, Gwen let her lips wander the underside of his throbbing erection, breathing in and picking up his delicious scent as she did. Her right hand reached down and found its way to her panties, while her left grabbed the base of Ben's dick and held it upright, stroking it ever so gently. The beads of cum gathering at the tip caught her attention and she greedily lapped it up––barely touching his skin, which had him going more.

"P-please…," was all the teenager could muster before his eyes rolled back in his head. His body collapsed on the pillows behind him. God, all she had done was kiss and lick at him, and still he could barely contain himself. He couldn't keep his eyes off his angel as she played with him… she was absolutely gorgeous. He watched as her eyes looked up at him, Gwen smiled devilishly, and turned her attention back to his member as she took the tip of it fully in her mouth.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

"Oh God…," Ben groaned in pleasure, the pain of his injuries totally forgotten. Trying to keep himself from squirming under her motions, he propped himself on his elbow and threw his head back. Gwen's mouth felt fantastic around his hardened member. The way she rolled her tongue along the underside of his shaft as she worked her lips up and down, and the way she left just the tip in her mouth and suckled the engorged head, felt incredible.

Gwen, too, was plenty excited; her panties were soaked through and clinging to her sensitive flesh. Going down on Ben tempted her to jump his bones right then and there, yet she refused to give in to that instinctual urge, she even refrained from touching herself. She was going to focus on him, and only him. Besides, the longer she held off, the greater the release––and hell, Ben could do just about anything and have her cumming in no time. Holding tightly the base of his cock, Gwen trailed kisses down the underside of his throbbing organ and made her way down to his balls. She cupped them with her free hand and nuzzled, kissed, and licked––merely teasing him now.

More pre-cum dribbled from his tip, and flowed down to Gwen's fingers. Upon feeling this, she immediately brought her mouth from his sac, and hovered above his cock. So into it was Gwen, that when Ben brought his hands softly to her shoulders, she jumped up with a start. Wherever her mind was seconds before, she snapped back into reality and looked up to face him.

"Something wrong, Ben?" Gwen asked a moment after catching her breath. She felt his fingers massaging her gently.

"No, nothing's wrong," he panted, lungs ablaze, "Wanted to switch up a little bit."

"What did you have in mind?"

Giving a charming smile, Ben trailed his hand slowly from her shoulders, all the way down her back, to rest them over her butt. His thumbs hooked under the top of her pants and he tugged lightly at them.

"Only a little bit of fair play, is all," Ben chuckled, patting her behind, "You got a chance to taste me, and now I'd like to do the same with you."

Letting go of his still rigid cock, Gwen sat up on her knees, and undid her pants. No time was wasted as she tore off both layers at once and threw them across the room. Gwen raised her left leg off the mattress and stretched it out and turned her back to Ben. She slowly brought her knee down, off to his other side, shook her hair out of her face, and gazed seductively over her shoulder. The whole move had given her cousin a full view of her dripping pussy. To make the moment even more erotic, she pressed her moistened lips at the center of his chest and slid backwards, all the way up to his chin; her pubic hair tickled his skin and gave him goose bumps.

As soon as Gwen grabbed his erection again, Ben had carefully wrapped his arms around her hips and pushed his lips into her delicate petals. He gave soft kisses over each lip and surrounding areas. That must've been the right thing to do, as she moaned while halfway down his rock hard cock. His entire body twitched and his hips pressed forward slightly, pushing himself further into Gwen's mouth. Pre-cum dribbled freely from his tip.

In no time at all, Gwen's juices soaked a large portion of Ben's face and had dripped down to his chest. Just as he got his body into his control, he pressed his face, again, into his cousin's waiting sex. This time the kisses were slow and penetrating. He opened his mouth and let his tongue roll about her insides, roaming over her inner walls.

"Oooh, fuck!" Gwen moaned through gritted teeth. She could feel her cum gush over his tongue again; the sudden orgasm left her lightheaded for a couple seconds. Digging her fingers into Ben's thighs, she ground her pussy into his face. Somehow, one of his teeth raked against her exposed clit; Gwen's knees tightened around her cousin, leaned down into his tummy and stifled another loud moan. She came_ again_.

After a couple orgasms, the redhead's adrenaline rush was only beginning. She brought her hands back to Ben's cock––her left hand grabbed at his balls while the other moved up and down his throbbing shaft. The sticky fluids that dribbled freely from his tip now trickled down further. Gwen's hand lathered the rivulets around the whole thing; his skin was fully lubricated now, glistening. Gwen's dazzling emerald eyes stared intently at the sight and couldn't hold herself back any further. She trailed full kisses from the base of his erection, up to the engorged head.

"You ready?" Gwen asked, squirming in place. Her own juices fully lubricated the entirety of her sex––she was more than ready to go.

"For what?" Ben said playfully, still kissing around Gwen's exposed flower. His hands groped at her cute little butt.

Instead of telling him, Gwen picked herself up from his body and spun herself around, she looked down giving another evil grin. Once more she grabbed his shaft and worked it up and down, this time she positioned her lower-half over his tip.

"Do you really want this, baby?" Gwen asked in a sultry voice.

She teased Ben some more by guiding his head over her slit, barely pressing forward to let just the tip slide in.

All Ben could do now was groan and whisper.

"Please…," he begged.

Gwen let that last word hang over their silence for a moment before conceding to Ben's wishes. Slowly, yet surely, she eased her way down his length. The combination of the cousins' fluid made their union easy. Tight––but easy. When he was inside her all the way, Gwen sat atop Ben and grinned seductively at him. Fingertips trailed in curvy patterns over his chest, avoiding the bruises and patchwork; hips rolled in circles, tumbling the hardened cock within her round and round.

Arching his back, Ben pulled his hips backward, withdrawing his cock only slightly. Both cousins moaned audibly and pressed themselves back into one another. Gwen laughed, she hadn't expected such a quick and sudden movement from her injured lover. It was at that moment she realized she hadn't taken her top off yet. If this turned out to be like all the other times she and Ben made love––despite the injuries––things were going to get hot and rough. At the moment she only had the clothes that she was (partially) in. Now wasn't the time for a torn bra and shirt. Stopping after building so much pleasure was downright unbearable (even painful, in Ben's case), so Gwen made quick with the motions. In one fluid movement, she had her shirt over her head and flying across the room. It hadn't even landed when she worked the clasps of her bra.

Now it was time to tease Ben again.

With her bra unhooked and hanging off her back, Gwen crossed her arms and rested her palms over opposite shoulders and tugged easily at the straps. Slightly, she rose from Ben's erection, leaving only the head in, and relaxed her leg muscles and sat back down; he twitched inside her. Slowly, the straps came down her shoulders, and her cups dipped a bit, letting her petite breasts show.

Not missing a single beat, Ben grabbed from Gwen's now exposed chest. He held her tits in his palms and gave a gentle squeeze. Aside from her nipples––which had fully erected some point in their lovemaking––the flesh her held was so soft and so smooth. The skin at his palms were hard and calloused, which made a lovely contrast. All the while he tended to her breasts, Ben also kept a slow and easy rhythm, pumping his member into her overflowing pussy. With every thrust he gave, he could feel her muscles contracting around his shaft. And at this point, it was getting difficult to pull out of her. She must've been getting close.

"Mmm…and you said you couldn't stand to go slow," Ben managed to get out between motions. He paused momentarily to keep himself from spilling inside her.

"Yeah, well––ooooh––you better believe I'm using every bit of willpower to keep myself from fucking your brains out."

"I've noticed," said Ben, pulling out of her, sharply, all the way.

Gwen shuddered and gasped loudly, "Oh, Goddamn!"

Her knees clamped painfully at his sides, causing Ben to let out a gasp of his own. Warm juices poured out from between Gwen's legs; Ben looked down to see her clear liquids cascading from her sensitive nether regions. His wet cock fell back, still quite hard, against her butt. Gwen collapsed and fell on top of him––thankfully he was still on his natural high and didn't notice most of the sharp pains shooting all over his body. All he could focus on was Gwen's gentle body laying half-conscious on his chest. Damp red hair spread over his collar bone and upper arm; her soft breasts pressed against his tummy, and her ear lay above his heart, listening to it beat.

Ben absent-mindedly pawed at her hair, letting his fingers drift through the long, dark strands. Moments like this, he thought, seemed to be better than sex (yes, the thought surprised him too). But who could not enjoy laying peacefully with the person you loved, laying naked, exposed, and vulnerable, and not have a care or worry in the world? He let out a content sigh and closed his eyes; his mind was always at peace when she was near him––he could relax.

"…Wait," Gwen spoke up, keeping the side of her face against his body, "did you finish, Ben?"

"No, I didn't," Ben replied, "Honestly, I wasn't even thinking about it––well, other than to keep myself from doing it too early."

"Really?"

"Yeah… There wasn't much for me to do this time around. I got caught up in how much you were enjoying it. Not just the act of having sex, I mean, but… how do I say this? It wasn't just your body reacting; I could feel something deep inside me, a feeling that I know I'll never have with anyone else. I could see it in your eyes too. Looking up at you, I couldn't help but watch….," he suddenly trailed off, "Sorry, I'm rambling aren't I?"

You're fine, Ben," Gwen managed to whisper. Her voice caught in her throat; those emerald eyes sparkled with tears. Even in their relationship, Ben wasn't much for the mushy stuff––though he was far from immature about it nowadays, he simply wasn't the best at vocalizing it. But he was trying. He truly did love her.

She raised her body from his, and held herself up with her arms at his sides. Ben opened his eyes slowly, wondering what Gwen was up to. He was met with her smiling, tear-stained face.

"Ben?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to get on top of you again," she lowered her head to his ear and whispered, "and I'm going to make you cum… and I want you to be inside me when you do it."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX**

A few hours later...

Gwen snuggled up next to Ben, who had had his arm around her since they'd both fallen asleep. The two slept above the covers nude, their shared body heat enough to keep them comfortable. Ben was totally out cold, breathing through his nose, snoring lightly, and completely oblivious to the redhead that lay awake watching him. Her lips were curled up into a smile, and had been since they made love. She still reveled in the delight and utter satisfaction bestowed upon her earlier in the day.

A free hand slid down to her naked tummy and caressed it gently. Today had been the first time Ben had ever finished inside her, and it was she that instigated. And it was nothing short of amazing. Gwen didn't know how, but she could still feel him inside of her, the essence he left for her body to claim. Even with her urges satisfied, she did not dread or regret the decision made during their passionate escapade. It didn't bother her for a second knowing Ben could have impregnated her; when you've helped save the world more times than you could count, what else was there to be afraid of? Besides, Gwen thought with a chuckle, if she could take care of Ben when they were ten, surely she could handle his child.

***

"You really think they wouldn't mind?" asked Sodina, calling into the kitchen from the couch in the living room.

"Duh, free home-cooked food, why wouldn't they? I do owe them a little something don't I?" Nikki replied, putting the finishing touches on the two dinner plates. She covered everything properly, added them to her large serving tray, and bounded out the front door.

Sodina wandered into the kitchen for a snack after her sister left, and immediately noticed the damage that was done to the place. Pots and pans littered the stovetop and counter, different spoons and ladles sat in the sink, measuring cups were still partially filled with whatever had been poured into them. For such a small girl to have so much energy, Sodina always wondered why Nikki never had any to spare to clean up around the house a little bit.

Kids.

***

Three knocks later, Nikki was still standing outside Ben and Gwen's room. No answer at all––not a sound came from the inside. Crap. Maybe they were asleep? No worries though, she had the skeleton key after all, she could just leave the food in the fridge––no biggie. Without the slightest sound, Nikki unlocked the door to the living room and crept inside, hands full with delicious treats.

Making room for everything wasn't at all a lengthy task for the young girl, she just made a few rearrangements and everything was good to go. All that she needed to do now was leave a note out about the meals and her apologies. There were little note cards on the coffee table, now she needed a––

_Squeak._

Nikki froze in place. What was that?

_Squeak, squeak._

The sound was coming from the kitchen. Perhaps one of them was awake now and prowling for a midnight snack. Good, then she'd be able to tell them what was up. Inwardly, she hoped it was Ben that was awake now; she wanted to apologize to him formally, rather than through a post-it note.

"Sorry for barging in like this," Nikki whispered, as she pushed open the kitchen door. Darkness was the only thing to greet her, "Ookay, so now I'm hearing things," she added, turning to leave the room again.

_Squeak._

_Squeak._

This time the hairs on the back of Nikki's neck stood on end, she turned her head to inspect the empty room. Nothing out of the ordinary was in plain sight, and certainly no repairs were needed for any of the plumbing or electrical work, or anything else out of sight. Then something caught her eye; light was coming through the door on the opposite end, the one leading to the bedroom. It was open only a wee little bit, but enough to see through up close enough.

_They better not be messing everything up in there, I just cleaned everything yesterday._

What Nikki saw as she peered through the slightly ajar door shocked her. It only took two or three seconds before her mind perceived exactly what her eyes picked up. And then something inside her snapped. The pounding in her head was so sudden and powerful it brought the girl down to her knees. Both of her hands clasped tightly to her temples, unsure of what else to do in the searing pain. She wouldn't scream, she couldn't. All that managed to escape her mouth was a weak croak.

Nikki's body fell limp to the tiled floor.

***

Gwen had just swallowed the last bit of Ben's cum when she heard something coming from the kitchen. It was a dull, quiet sound, but it still caught her attention and her curiosity.

"What was that?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Ben raised his upper half from the mattress and looked around, "Hmm? I didn't hear anything."

"It came from the kitchen."

"A mouse?"

"No. I don't think so," Gwen replied, getting off the bed to investigate. Tiptoeing wasn't exactly necessary, the building was old, but somehow the floorboards refused to squeak. Ben watched on, propped up on the bed, as she made her way over to the door––granted that it was mostly her ass and breasts that gathered much of his attention.

***

The bedroom door opened and the lamp light spilled across Nikki's face, waking her instantly. Glowing white eyes shot open and focused on the nude figure that stood before her, then to the one laying in the background––the boy. The scent of all the hormones, pheromones, and ejaculate were thick in the air. Nikki's stomach turned––but no matter––she could fight in the rank atmosphere.

"How dare you put your hands on that girl," a voice came from Nikki that did not sound as if it belonged to a young girl, addressing Ben, "and make her do something like _that_ for you!?"

The air around the three of them suddenly grew very hot; winds picked up from nowhere, and threw about loose articles of clothing and small appliances from the kitchen. A hot, blinding glow overtook the younger girl, whose silhouette began to grow from it's petite frame to that of some unidentified, mammoth of a creature. Her torso shot up, pushed by muscular and lengthy legs. Arms stretched out and four-clawed hands reached past her knees. A voluptuous set of breasts grew upon her chest, while every silky strand of hair on her head completely disappeared.

When the air around the cousins settled and the light show faded, a tall, angry-looking alien stood before them. Whatever Nikki had changed into had shiny teal skin, golden hieroglyphs sparkled down each limb, all of which ended with razor-sharp talons. Glowing red eyes and a snarl stared down Ben, who still sat, paralyzed, in his bed; he'd not even thought about hitting the Omnitrix.

Before Gwen could protest, the alien lunged for Ben, shrieking murderously. He'd never get the chance to react.

***

A bloodcurdling scream caused Sodina to jump from the couch with a start. Her heart pounded in her chest. _What the hell was that?_ She looked around the room, listening intently. A low rumbling sound started to build and was quickly followed by a deafening crash, the floor shook underneath her feet.

_Oh, no. No, no no! Nikki!_

The girl tore through the front door and straight over to where Ben and Gwen were staying. Frantically, she ran up the stairs three at a time and stopped dead in her tracks upon reaching their bedroom door... at least, where the bedroom door should have been. Splintered pieces of the door had been thrown all about the ground below, along with copious amounts of the wall and other assorted items from the building's innards.

Nobody was inside the room, her sister was gone, and so were Ben and Gwen. Panic again shot through Sodina's entire being. She couldn't let her sister hurt them––and yet, at the same time, she couldn't let them hurt her little sister.

"Uhnn...," a voice croaked from the rubble further back in the room.

***

Everything around her was blurry and dark as her eyes fluttered open. The throbbing in her head almost completely overtook––it hurt like _hell_. A warm liquid trickled down the front of her face and onto her still naked body. With the back of her left hand, she wiped away the offending fluids, only to have it pour down again. Puzzled, Gwen took a look down, her skin was covered in blood.

The room around her was in complete shambles, broken pieces lumber, metal, and concrete piled up all around her. Weakly, she brought herself to her feet, unsure of what exactly happened before she blacked out.

_No time to worry about that_, Gwen scolded herself, _I've gotta find Ben and Nikki. There's no way he can defend himself against her__––__even in his alien forms._

Before she knew it, somebody was calling her name and helping her to her feet. Gwen soon got her bearings and realized that it was Sodina talking and picking her up from the debris.

"Are you alright? Where's Ben?" the other girl didn't waste any time getting to the point, "If we don't find him soon, he's as good as dead."

"I don't know where they went," said Gwen, shaking off the cobwebs, "Everything happened so fast. All I remember is seeing Nikki in the kitchen, laying on the ground... but her eyes... they were glowing. She looked angry... and afraid."

Sodina's jaw dropped, her eyes grew wide in fear.

"Not good."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter X**

The night was cold and damp. Dark clouds loomed heavily in the sky; thunder rolled all throughout and shook the ground. Moon and star light could not penetrate and illuminate the land Gwen and Sodina ran through. The girls' only help was that of a dimming beam of a nearly drained flashlight. Huge divots and uprooted trees led them to their intended quarry. The destruction had been infrequent when they started trudging through the grasses and woods, now it was becoming more of a regular occurrence. With any luck, they'd make it in time to save Ben, and bring Nikki back to her senses.

As they trekked through the dark forest, Sodina felt it was time to explain everything to Gwen, "I didn't want to burden you with our bleak family history."

"Fill me in," said a now fully clothed Gwen, "I'd like to know exactly what we're up against."

"A shapeshifter, but you already knew that... in her current state, she's extremely dangerous."

"How so? And what would cause her to react like that?"

"Early childhood trauma."

"Huh?"

"Several years ago, Nikki lived with both of her parents, and they were just an ordinary family. Business at the inn and restaurant was high and Nikki was growing up beautiful and healthy––everything was perfect," Sodina paused and grit her teeth, "Sorry, it's not so easy to talk about. Anyways, shortly after Nikki's ninth birthday, she noticed something weird about her dad––the way he addressed her, the way he held her, and got close to her. He... He started touching her."

Walking at Sodina's side, Gwen kept silent, not knowing what to say. Never had she known anyone who had gone through this. She and Ben grew up lucky, they had a loving family and friends. Aside from her and Ben's years of feuding, their lives were sparkling clean.

Sodina continued on, "For a couple years this went on... and then, one night, dear ol' dad tried going all the way with her. Just as she promised him, everything up until then was their little secret––"

"Wait a minute," Gwen cut in, "I just realized you kept saying 'Nikki's parents' and 'Nikki's dad... are you two not really––"

"That's right. Well, to be specific, we are the same person. Sorry, earlier this afternoon I was still in character, so to speak."

"How could that––"

_BOOM._

The two girls stopped dead in their tracks as the ground shook violently beneath them. Two things they were sure of now: they were close to finding their loved ones, and that explosion surely meant a fight was going on. Both Ben and Nikki were still alive out there. If they hurried, the apparent battle would not have to end in tragedy.

***

Swampfire barely managed to dodge another energy blast from Nikki, who had turned into yet another alien (one he did not recognize, nor could he see clearly in the dark). Painfully, he rolled on the ground among the sticker bushes and broken twigs. All of his wounds were now bleeding through the patchwork Gwen had set for him just hours ago.

Another energy blast cut through the cool night air, this one caught him off guard, catching him along the lower half of his leg. He cried out in a mixture of surprise and pain. Reasoning with her didn't work––he'd tried that extensively ever since he led her out into the woods, away from people––it was like his voice never made it to her ears. Unlike all of the other aliens he'd encountered, this was the first he'd flat out refused to fire upon. She was just a young girl, there was no way he could fight back.

Futilely, he called out to her again, "Please don't do this! We don't have to fight!"

"If you do not fight back, you will surely die," the alien stated flatly.

"I'll take my chances dodging you."

"Why are you so bent on refusing to face me?" she asked, becoming impatient with his apparent cowardice, "You're not used to a girl fighting back, are you?"

"It's not that! It's the fact you are a young girl that won't allow me to hurt you!" Ben fired back, keeping his emotions in check; he couldn't let her get to him. After all, that stubbornness and fiery attitude tended to show up once in a blue moon.

"And what about the other girl you were with? Those things you were having her do to you...," Nikki's voice trailed off, and then suddenly roared, "She's your own blood, how dare you take advantage of her!? You may not be my father, like we thought, but you might as well be him!"

In the blink of an eye, Nikki charged and tackled Swampfire and pinned him roughly to the ground. More than a little dazed, he coughed and breathed heavily, desperately trying to catch his breath. Before she could attack any further, he managed to choke out, "You don't understand... both of us want that... I love her."

His consciousness started to fade, Nikki grabbed him by the throat and shook him violently, "You honestly believe that!? The only reason she goes along with you is that she's afraid of what you'll think of her... or do to her if she doesn't. You'll––"

"ENOUGH!" Gwen's voice carried through the forest, over the rolling thunder, "He's telling you the truth! I love him! Please stop this, he means no harm and has done nothing wrong."

Nikki kept one clawed hand tight around Swampfire's neck and raised the other into the air, "You've no need to defend him any longer. You're safe now, and I can put this––this monster––down for you!"

That was all Gwen needed to hear. Her emerald eyes started to glow shades of fuchsia and glared hatefully at the female alien. A strange aura overtook Gwen's form and gave off a magnificent heat. Nikki's grip on Swampfire's neck lightened, her other hand lowered slightly, as she took notice of the sudden transformation.

"If you so much as lay a single claw on my cousin," Gwen spoke clearly and intently, "then I will kill you," she raised her hand, open palmed, toward Nikki, "I'm not messing around, and I _dare_ you to call my bluff."

Nikki moved not a single muscle and said nothing, as if in a quick draw at high noon. The redhead was as firm and rigid as a statue, neither her expression, nor aura, faded in the slightest.

"I assure you, I do not intend to live without the person I love most in this world," Gwen said firmly.

"She's telling you the truth, you know," another voice came from the thickets, "You can hear how calmly she's stating those facts. She won't think twice. And you know what'll happen if she kills you, right?"

Nikki cringed and nodded meekly, keeping herself silent.

"That's right, she'll kill me too."

Inwardly, Gwen shuddered at the thought, but she kept her cool on the outside, she didn't move, or even flinch. Her hand still kept a firm lock on Nikki. If she'd shown any break of concentration, Ben surely would have been killed.

The grip around Swampfire's neck slackened and he dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"I never want to see anything happen to you again––ever."

Gwen lowered her hand and shot a look over to Sodina, "You? But I thought you said that she––"

"She was traumatized seeing what was happening to me. When he would start with her, she would try to put her mind in a different place, in order to ignore what was happening. Eventually, her transforming nature was able to produce me, an exact duplicate. A twin. I hid from her parents at first, sneaking into rooms at the inn that were seldom used.

"Nikki and I played all the time, to help keep her mind off her father. The next time her came after her, I took her place... I couldn't bear knowing that I, nothing more than a carbon copy, would stand by at let a little girl be assaulted like that. I couldn't remember anything after that bastard finished. It was her alien defense mechanism, her body would not be compromised, and I would not feel or remember a thing."

"But I still couldn't let you go through that!," Nikki cried out, "You protected me without any thought at all..."

"She saw what he was doing to me and snapped," Sodina walked over to her sister, "and chased that bastard of a father away."

"He was able to change," Nikki sobbed, "he often transformed into different people, or things, when he locked them up in my room. Mom was always at the restaurant. I always hated myself for not doing anything sooner, that's why I went so crazy when I saw your cousin transform earlier... and when I saw what you two were doing tonight. I lose total control of myself. I'm so sorry," Nikki finally broke down in tears and dropped to the ground next to Ben.

Their loved ones rushed to their sides, Sodina and Gwen both assessed the damage. Minor cuts and scratches, nothing a few band-aids and rubbing alcohol wouldn't cure.

Gwen sighed with relief, "Both of them are very lucky. Ben was able to avoid her attacks, and it looks like he didn't even try to fight her."

"I will be forever grateful for that," Sodina whispered as she picked up her sister, "Let's get them back to the inn. Rest will do them wonders."

***

And sleep did the young teens much good. Ben and Nikki slept soundly the entire trip back to the inn (Ben had luckily transformed back into himself, a much lighter form for Gwen to carry)and even after Sodina and Gwen cleaned them up and tucked them in. The brunette and redhead slumped exhaustedly onto a comfortable sofa in the random suite they'd chosen to set up camp in.

"I hope this... ugliness from our past can be put to rest, before she, or anyone else, gets hurt," Sodina thought aloud, breaking the silence between her and Gwen.

"Has it ever been this bad before?"

"Never. Even when we first attacked your cousin, we were just gonna rough him up a bit and hopefully chase him off. But tonight she actually made to kill somebody who did nothing wrong. She needs help," tears welled up and slid down Sodina's cheeks in tiny rivulets.

"And you can't go to anyone here. If you did and she transformed, more innocent people could get hurt... or worse," Gwen finished the other girl's thought.

"Then they'd take her away... she is part alien after all."

Gwen pondered for a moment, "I think I know someone who could help you."

Sodina looked up, wiping the tears from her face, "Really?"

"Yes. And he's dealt with aliens and everything before. He's a doctor, and he's actually helped out Ben and myself in the past."

Sodina's face lightened considerably, the corners of her mouth turned upward slightly, it looked as if a great amount of weight lifted from her shoulders. She wanted to speak up, but could not find the proper words. A mere 'thank you', Sodina felt, would not do.

"Once everyone's up later on, I'll have Ben make the call," Gwen said, finding that a smile had grown across her face as well.

***

Several hours later, Ben did make that call for the twins. An appointment was made for a week from the day, across the states.

"You two can make it out that way in time, right?" Ben mused after he'd put the phone back on the receiver.

"Pfft. I can go three times as fast as any one of your aliens, Benny," Nikki said, and stuck her tongue out.

"Bring it on, we'll see about that someday," he winked.

"So you will be coming back?" asked Sodina, who was leaning against the restaurant bar, behind her sister.

"Definitely," Gwen assured them, but it'll have to wait until we find our Grandpa Max."

"We'll be waiting, you two are welcome here anytime," Nikki ran up and hugged both Ben and Gwen. She turned back to look at her sister and mom, "Right?"

"Of course they are. Room and food will be on the house every time, too."

"Thank you," Ben said, picking up the to-go bag the twins prepared for their journey back, "We'll see you all later. Take care until then."

The twins and their mother waved goodbye as Ben and Gwen walked down the stretch of road, and waved back in return. The cousins were surprisingly quiet on the trip back, though they walked happily hand in hand.

"I still think that was very sweet and brave of you," Gwen finally broke the silence, "Not fighting back at all, I mean. That might very well be a first for you," she teased.

"Eh, don't be too surprised," Ben replied sheepishly, "I didn't really have a choice. If I beat her up, I'd have beaten up a girl."

"Sooo, getting your ass kicked by a girl would be any better in your mind?"

"I'm used to it," he turned to face her and smiled.

"Yeah, but you like it when I kick your ass––should I be jealous of the past twenty-four hours, or so?"

"Not at all. You're the only one who can actually turn me on doing something like that."

"Shame," Gwen said, sighing, "Nikki was a cutie, I would've let her join in."

Ben stopped dead in his tracks, jaw dropped, "Wha––really?"

Gwen, too, came to a halt, only to punch him in the shoulder, "No."

"Oww."

"Dork."

**THE END**


End file.
